Fireworks and Streets of Gold
by BananaSwirl
Summary: Sometimes Ming wondered if she had spent over half of her life wishing for something she could never really have. Then, she looked back and she decided it was worth it. She remembered the fireworks that were red, and green, and blue, and she smiled.


**Because I saw there were no fics about Ming. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender**

* * *

Ming was exactly one year younger than Prince Lu Ten. She knew this because whenever it was her-his-birthday, fireworks would erupt from the capital city and light up the night time sky. Even from her house near the coast, she could see them when Daddy lifted her up on his big strong shoulders and pointed out the colors. Red and green, and blue.

Seeing them made her feel special, even though she wasn't the one they were meant for. And when she got too big for Daddy's shoulders, she would lie on the roof and imagine that Prince Lu Ten-who was a year older than her- was doing the same thing at the Fire Nation palace.

There were only fireworks on Crown Prince Iroh and Prince Lu Ten's birthdays, because everybody knew how Fire Lord Azulon felt about his other son. Ming kind of felt bad for the other prince-she forgot his name, but she knew he had long hair, and that he was pretty-because he didn't get fireworks.

Maybe, Ming thought, if she was rich, she would get some fireworks and set them off for the pretty prince so he would feel special, too. But she wasn't rich and she didn't want anyone to be mad at her. So she continued to sit on her roof on her birthday, and watch the colors fly by.

* * *

When Ming was eleven years old, Daddy got sick. He wasn't big and strong Daddy anymore, and he started to get strange cravings for tea. Rare types of tea that could only be bought in the market and so Momma had Ming to go in the city all by herself to the marketplace. Ming would have felt like a big girl, if her chest hadn't felt so tight all the time. Daddy was sick and that made Ming said.

She liked going to the marketplace, though, because she saw all types of people there. She saw the higher class people with their hired servants, buying jewelry and clothes that they would wear to their fancy parties. Ming had never been to a fancy party, but she could imagine that there would be pretty women and handsome men and they would dance. Sometimes she imagined that she had been invited to one, and she had been given a beautiful red and black qi pao. And then there would be a prince there, who would ask her to dance and they would fall in love and get married.

Her cheeks turned red when she imagined dancing with Lu Ten and she clenched her teeth. She was supposed to be getting tea leaves for Daddy, not dreaming about a prince she hadn't met. Besides, she wasn't pretty and she wasn't rich, and Lu Ten would never look at her.

"There you are, Ming!" Ming turned and smiled. It was the merchant that sold the tea. He went to nearly every island in the Fire Nation archipelago, gathering tea leaves and then selling them. He was nice and funny, and sometimes Ming would sit down and talk to him before she had to leave. "I thought you weren't coming today. You're a little late."

Ming brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I know, Tatakau." She said and looked up at the merchant. He normally wore a hat on his head, with a Fire Nation insignia because he had been in the Fire Nation Army for three years before he had been discharged due to an injury. He was still young, maybe in his twenties, but he was missing two fingers on his left hand. "But at least I came."

Tatakau laughed and pulled out his case of tea leaves, opening it and setting it before Ming. "Here, this one is jasmine." He said and shrugged, "But I think your father might like something else." He pointed to a silk pouch. "This is Osmanthus. I think he might like the scent and the taste."

Ming nodded and held out her hand as Tatakau passed the silk pouch to her. She pulled her shoe off of her foot, searching for the coins that her mother had given her. There were pickpockets in the marketplace, and they didn't have enough money to give anyone. A silver coin fell out into Ming's palm and she handed it to Tatakau, turning her head as something red caught her eye.

There were men in red Fire Nation uniforms, moving in unison. Ming turned fully, craning her neck to see. She stood on the tips of her toes, because even though she was one of the tallest girls in her class, she wasn't nearly as tall as the adults in the marketplace.

Between the uniformed men-they were guards-Ming saw a young woman holding the hand of a boy who looked maybe twelve years old. The boy wore a shiny headpiece in the shape of a flame on his topknot and Ming could see his eyes were gold. A beautiful type of gold that made Ming's skin warm, even though he wasn't looking at her.

"That's Princess Ursa." Tatakau said, even though Ming wasn't really listening. "Prince Ozai's wife. She had a baby, last year I think. Heard it was a boy." The air stirred and Ming could tell he was shrugging, but she didn't turn. "And that's Prince Lu Ten, Crown Prince Iroh's son."

"I know." Ming said and blushed as the Fire Nation prince's eyes swiveled in her direction. "I _know." _But then he looked away and his guards moved closer together. He moved along and Ming wrung her hands, turning back to Tatakau. "We have the same birthday. If that matters."

To Ming, it meant the world.

* * *

When Ming turned sixteen years old, she signed up to join the army. Daddy, who had gotten better, was proud of her, but Momma didn't agree. She said Ming should focus on becoming a young woman, not running off to fight grown men. To which Ming replied that she wasn't _running_ off, she was signing up. She didn't want to join the Homeland Defense; she wanted to serve her country by fighting with the big guys. There was nothing to do in Homeland Defense, but in the army…there was freedom.

"Momma," Ming said and took her mother's hands in her own, meeting her brown gaze. Momma had brown eyes, while Daddy had amber ones. Ming's eyes were a honey brown color, not quite amber, but not quite brown either. "I know you want what's best for me, and that you think that me settling down and being a good wife would be what's best for me, but it's not, Momma." She frowned, "You always said I should do what I think is best. I want to join the army, and I think you should let me."

For a moment, her mother was silent. Then, she pulled her hands away from her daughter's. Ming smiled as she reached for the papers that Ming had brought home and looked over them. "When you want to do something, you don't stop until you do." She said and shook her head, "You're breaking my heart, but if it makes you happy…"

"Oh, Momma, if your heart is broken, then I'll fix it for you." Ming said and kissed her mother on the cheek, running out of the house and leaping into the air. She ran down the street, then, whooping in joy. And then, she looked towards the top of the caldera where the Fire Nation palace was.

Her mother had said that whenever Ming wanted something, she didn't stop until she got it. It wasn't like that with Lu Ten, Ming thought. She still thought about the prince and the brief look he had given her when she was eleven years old. Her chest ached at the memory and she smiled to herself. But it was a sad smile, because she knew that the prince knew nothing of her.

She just wished she could forget about him, but she couldn't.

* * *

She was deployed to the Earth Kingdom when she was just eighteen years old. She had really been in the army for a year, but she had been labeled as inactive until now. Part of her had felt that maybe she had been forgotten, or maybe she wasn't qualified enough. But she knew that the Fire Nation needed every soldier they could get, even if one was a silly, teenage girl who couldn't quite get the face of Prince Lu Ten out of her head.

There were only two days to wait until the ship that would take her out of the Fire Nation would arrive. Then, she would be a soldier. She would be a soldier fighting for her country and she would make her family proud. She would be the best soldier she could be, and she could almost imagine herself adorned in medals as she returned to her home in the caldera. It was a good thought.

Tatakau appeared her house on that day. She still spoke to him regularly, even though she was no longer a child. He was in his thirties, now, she remembered, and he was still one of her best friends. He stood at the front door, his hands clasped behind his back. He straightened when Ming's father opened the door and nodded. "Is Ming here?" He asked.

Even from where she stood behind him, Ming could tell that her father was suspicious of the man. He was probably wondering what a thirty-something year old man was doing at his door, asking about his teenaged daughter. She could see his shoulders tense and Ming stepped forward quickly.

"This is Tatakau, Daddy." Ming said and smiled, "The man that you used to get your tea from." She explained and her father seemed to relax at that. "The one that travels all over the Fire Nation." Tatakau sighed in relief at Ming's words and Ming grinned. "What are you doing here, Tatakau?"

The man shrugged. "I heard you were getting deployed soon," He said and stepped backwards as Ming moved past her father. "I just wanted to give you some tips. Like how you shouldn't stand too close to blasting jelly." He held up his left hand and chuckled. "And to say goodbye."

Ming moved into the yard and Tatakau followed. "You've been my best friend for a long time, Tatakau." She said, "And I'll miss you. I want to make you proud, too, just as much as I want to make my parents proud." That was the truth. "I told my mother that I don't want to be a good, quiet wife. Where is the excitement in that?" She asked and smiled.

"Nothing is wrong with that, I suppose. But it doesn't sound exciting once I think about it." Tatakau replied as Ming walked beside him. "But going to war isn't an adventure. It's the scariest thing in your life, and the most painful." He looked at his hand, lacking two fingers, and shrugged. "You probably already know what you're getting into. At least, I hope you do."

She nodded and smiled softly. "If I wasn't a soldier, what else would I do? I'm not rich and I'm not pretty, and there's no way a prince would even notice me." She sighed, "Those are the only important things around here. Being rich, being pretty, and being royalty. I'm not any of those."

Tatakau seemed to grow angry at this, and he turned to face her. "You really are just a child if you believe that'll all that matters." He said and Ming flinched. "Maybe it hasn't occurred to you that there might be something else that matters. Like having someone who accepts you and your wishes, and loves you." He looked at her and shook his head. "You really are just a child."

Ming didn't quite know what to say to that, so she looked at Tatakau and tried to read his face. But then, her eyes welled up and she threw her arms around his neck. It hadn't really occurred to her that she really would be leaving her old life behind. It hadn't occurred to her that she might never see her friends and family ever again, if she died.

After a moment, Tatakau held her at arm's length and smiled sadly. "It just hit you." He said and Ming nodded. "I can't really tell you anything…except to stay away from blasting jelly." He laughed and linked Ming's arm in his, moving back towards her home. "I guess this means goodbye, this moment here?"

Ming shook her head and held her companion's hand. "Just for a little while." She said. "Just for a short while."

* * *

The ship left at dawn, and Ming turned back to see her mother and father waving at the ship. They couldn't distinguish her from the other uniformed soldiers, but Ming could see them. She could see them and she cried out to them, resisting the urge to stand on the railing to make herself better seen.

There were school children on the coast, waving and holding up paper cranes, hoping for the wind to catch them. Ming smiled and looked out towards the ocean. The Earth Kingdom was somewhere out there, and it would be like she was entering another world, but Ming didn't mind.

The sunlight warmed her skin and Ming opened her arms. She couldn't stay out there forever-obviously-but she would stay long enough to get the feeling of adventure. Of leaving her old self behind and moving towards the future and what lay in it.

* * *

Ming was sent to the great Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se, which was the capital. It was surrounded by a huge wall and the Fire Nation still couldn't penetrate it, even after all this time. So they surrounded it, instead. She was sent to the wall, to fight alongside the firebenders in an attempt to shatter the outer wall. She heard that the great General Iroh, who was also the Crown Prince, was leading the assault.

But Ming was not added to the general's army. Instead, she was thrust into the army of his direct underling, along with two other soldiers. One reminded her of Tatakau, but the other was wide eyed and nervous. He wouldn't last very long, Ming thought, with his jumpy attitude, but he was a firebender and they needed those.

The commander's orderly was a calm, slick looking man. He ordered the new recruits to line up and called out their names. Then, he said, "Half of you will be maimed or crushed by a boulder." He looked at them and Ming looked down the line. There was only one other woman, but she looked like a man so Ming didn't think she counted. "If that doesn't sound appealing, I would suggest that you turn around and desert. But I don't care for deserters. And besides, you're too late for that."

Another man approached them and Ming saw that he was tall, at least taller than the orderly, and he walked regally. He seemed rather young, maybe her age, but everyone straightened when he approached. Ming saw the headpiece in his topknot and she thought he was rather handsome.

"I'm Prince Lu Ten." Said the man and Ming's heart stopped. "Or at least, that's what you call me off of the battlefield. On the field, I'm Commander. Or you can call me Lu Ten." He smiled darkly and his golden eyes flickered over them.

_Notice me! Remember me! _Ming's heart screamed and she clasped her hands as Prince Lu Ten walked towards her. _Look at me and say _"I remember you"_. _She straightened and tried to look soldierly.

Lu Ten looked down at her and Ming looked up at him. "You, girl, wouldn't last five minutes against an earthbender on the wall." He clapped his hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Welcome to the family!" He said to all of them and laughed.

His hand was warm, Ming noticed. His hand was warm and it made her feel safe, even though she would be fighting in a danger zone. It made her feel safe and she followed him around like a lion puppy, a few feet behind so he wouldn't notice. She offered to help him, which made his orderly mad, but Lu Ten didn't seem to mind.

She had a better memory than the orderly and she rattled off what information Lu Ten needed, when he needed it, and she felt warm when his smile was meant for her. Sometimes she expected him to rub the top of her head and say, "Good girl," but he didn't. Even if he did, Ming wasn't sure if she would be humiliated or happy.

She grinned when he first said her name. It rolled smoothly off his tongue, she thought, and she loved when he looked at her, even if it was just a glance. "We have the exact same birthday." She told him and smiled. "I'm a year younger than you."

Lu Ten looked up, surprised. "That's funny," He said and Ming took away the scroll that he had been writing, setting it aside. "Thanks." He told her and Ming nodded. She just wanted to help him. "I appreciate your company, Ming. I really do."

Ming's heart swelled and if her grin got any wider, it would go right off her face.

* * *

She saw the dark side of Lu Ten when she had been part of the team for two months. They still hadn't gone into combat, yet. The fighting had been slowing down and there hadn't been much to do, except patrol the part of the wall that they had been assigned. The wall loomed over them and sometimes Ming wondered what the city would look like once they got inside.

Maybe there would be streets of gold.

Lu Ten lost his temper at the soldier who reminded Ming so much of Li. He hadn't been moving fast enough for the commander's taste and the Fire Nation threw a fireball at his feet. "If an earthbender was attacking you," He said and moved in front of the soldier's face, "You would be dead in ten seconds. Crushed." He kicked the dirt, "That's what you'd be. Dust."

He glared at them all then, his gold eyes blazing. "There is no time for sightseeing." He said and pointed towards the wall, "You've never seen a man get crushed by a boulder from the top of that wall. You don't want to see it. But you will." He said and Ming winced. "You _will_ and it will haunt your mind."

Ming imagined an earthbender standing over her, holding a boulder above her head, and she imagined that she wanted to scream, to scream for help but then she was suffocating under a pile of rock. It was a horrible feeling and she shook her head. And at night, she hid under her blanket and dreamed that she was running, running from Earth Kingdom soldiers that wanted to kill her.

And she awoke to the sound of someone coming near her. Being a soldier had trained her; she could hear and see at night almost as well as she could during the day. She did not recognize the shape of the person's shoulders and she rolled to her feet, holding her hands up. She wasn't a bender, but she could hold her own.

There was a flash of light and then Ming saw Lu Ten's face, illuminated by the fire in his hand. "It's me," He said and Ming lowered her hands. He moved towards her and Ming smiled softly. He took her hands in his own and pulled her against him, catching her face with his free hand.

He moved to kiss her and before she could think of what she was doing, Ming slapped him. She slapped him and Lu Ten sprung back, alarmed. Ming then realized what she had down and dropped down into a kowtow, because she had just slapped her commander and the Prince of the Fire Nation. "I'm sorry!" She said and shook her head. "Please forgive me."

Lu Ten's hand appeared near her face as he pulled her up, looking off to the side. "No…" He said and rubbed his face. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have did that…I-I just got caught up and stressed out and then I remembered…and I needed that."

Ming moved her hand to the red mark of his face, but Lu Ten jerked his head away from her. "I'm sorry." He said and backed away from her. She couldn't read the expression on his face, because then the fire in his left palm went out and he was gone.

Ming thought that any chances she had were gone, just like that.

* * *

But their friendship was not ruined, thankfully. She continued to follow him like a lion puppy and his words still made her heart skip a beat. And she had been in Ba Sing Se for six, nearly seven months when she finally got enough nerve to kiss him. She got enough nerve to grab Prince Lu Ten by his collar and kiss him, because the Fire Nation's hold on the wall of Ba Sing Se has cracked just a bit, and that meant war.

And when she pulled away, her ears and cheeks red, she saw that Lu Ten was smiling. He rubbed his lips with his middle and index finger. "I had a feeling you wanted to do that." He said and looked at her, though it was a sad type of look, Ming thought. "I wanted to do that, too."

Ming did not tell him she loved him. But she figured that he knew, because in the evenings, she would quietly tell him how she had felt so connected to him when she was a child, even though she had never met him. She would whisper to him and he would whisper to her, long into the night until her eyelids grew heavy and she would have to trudge back to her own quarters.

He pulled her down next to him one night, and whispered for her to stay. And she did, and Ming didn't think it was as great as girls she knew had told her it was, but it was good enough. She liked the feeling of being held in his arms and when he combed his fingers through her hair, untangling it and making her feel like a woman, not a soldier.

At night, he talked to her about his father, the great Crown Prince Iroh, and about his mother, who was dead. He talked to her about his uncle, Ozai, and his niece and nephew Zuko and Azula. And she talked about her mother and her father, but she didn't mention Tatakau. She had a feeling Lu Ten would not want to hear about Tatakau. So she talked about fireworks instead.

* * *

He died in her arms.

Ming only remembered the alarm being sounded as they patrolled the wall, and then there were boulders and arrows and spears raining down around her. She remembered seeing the wide eyed firebender fall dead, seemingly unharmed, until she saw the arrow in his neck. She remembered unsheathing her katana, but she could not fight an enemy she couldn't reach.

She remembered Lu Ten throwing fire blasts at the earthbenders, moving to protect his teammates and Ming remembered grabbing a shield and guarding the prince, _her_ prince. She remembered the feeling of an arrow meeting her knee and she crumbled.

She had never felt pain like that before.

There were boulders coming down around her and then she remembered Lu Ten kneeling by her, taking her into his arms. Ming saw an Earth Kingdom soldier standing on the wall above them, aiming for them, and she screamed when the arrow flew towards them.

Fire flew out of Lu Ten's hands as he fell against her, his eyes wide with surprise and rage. Ming screamed, then, and pulled him towards her. "I'm alright!" He said to her as she moved her hands to grab him by his shoulders, scooting as fast as she could. Her leg was injured and there was an arrow in Lu Ten's chest and she was scared. She was scared and she wanted to go home, back home where it was safe and quiet and _it wasn't supposed to be like this!_

"No," She whispered and cried out as she pulled to them to safety of the shadows of the wall. "No, you're not." Everything was wrong, wrong, wrong and people were dying around her. "Don't die, Lu Ten." She said and Lu Ten looked up at her.

He laughed. "I'm not going to die, Ming." He said simply, and then he winced. He relaxed against her arms and Ming rested his head in her lap. "Okay, maybe I am." He looked up at her and his hand, still warm from firebending, stroked her cheek. Ming was then aware that she was crying.

"Ming," Lu Ten whispered to her, "Tell me you love me."

Ming choked, then. She choked and looked down at him. "Why would I have to tell you that, when you already knew it?" Of course he knew it. He knew that she loved him; she had loved him since she was a child and she had dreamed that she was his princess. And she had been, for a little while. She had been his princess while war knocked on their door, but that was alright. "I love you."

Lu Ten sighed and dropped his hand. "Now kiss me, Ming. Kiss me and remember that I love you, too." Ming dipped her head to his lips and he left his last breath out against her mouth, closing his eyes and going limp in her arms, and Ming thought she felt tears on her cheek.

But they were hers.

* * *

Ming met the great general Iroh only a day after Lu Ten's death, and she thought he looked like a shorter, heavier, older Lu Ten. He looked at her sadly, because everyone knew how Lu Ten had died while she held him. But he was not angry at her. His son hadn't died alone, and that was the only thing that mattered.

The Siege of Ba Sing Se ended that day and the soldiers were being transferred to the Homeland Defense, or sent to another front. Ming gathered her things-there weren't many-and limped towards the carriage that would carry her back to the coast. She had crutch, but she barely used it. She couldn't stand to look at the thing.

She threw her old things down, because she couldn't stand to look at them, either. Whenever she saw her reflection in the mirror, or in water, she couldn't stand to look at herself. Everything reminded her of the war, of seeing people dying all around her, and she got angry. She got angry and screamed when it was too much. There were soldiers that hadn't been in Ba Sing Se, and they looked at her with pity.

When the ship landed on the caldera, Ming did not pay attention to the cheers that rose up around her. She took the hand that was offered to her, though, and she took that crutch that someone handed her. Then she hobbled to the house that she had grown up in, and let her parents embrace her.

With Lu Ten's death, Iroh stepped down. With Lu Ten's death, the Fire Lord Azulon died and his second son ascended the throne. With Lu Ten's death, the Princess Ursa disappeared. Ming didn't pay much attention to the news, but she listened when her parents told her of it.

For a while, she simply sat in her room. She didn't feel much like talking and her father sent a letter to her superiors, saying that she needed some time to recover before she officially started her new job in the Homeland Defense department. She would be a prison guard, away from the fighting and the war and the pain and the death.

Tatakau came to her a full month after she returned home. He simply looked at her for the first day, and then he sat beside her. He sat beside her and held her hand. "It's not your fault," He told her and looked at his left hand, which was missing two fingers.

"I know." Ming said, even though she didn't. If she had paid better attention, maybe she could have saved him. Maybe that arrow could have been in her chest instead, so the Fire Nation would not have been without a prince. She wouldn't have been missed by many, she thought. She was just one person, not a princess.

Tatakau began to walk her through the emotions she didn't understand, that she didn't want to understand, and he was patient with her. He walked her through the horrid feeling of emptiness, of feeling numb and then feeling nothing at all. He showed her the sunrise and sunset, and tried to fill the void within her.

He walked her through the feeling of anger, of wanting to go back and time and change things. "I want to _kill_ those earthbenders." She would say and leap to her feet. She would scream and shout, and her mother would poke her head through the door before Tatakau waved her away. "I want to end them." Ming would say and Tatakau would nod.

Then, he guided her through the feeling of remorse and guilt, and the feeling of, "It should have been me. If it was me…"and Tatakau nodded. He held her when she cried, and then she began to _feel_ again.

* * *

And finally, she went to the prison where she was to work, and Tatakau held her hand as she went. She walked without a limp, now and with Tatakau she felt stronger. He held her hand and then brushed her hair out of her face, smiling softly. "Be strong." He said to her and Ming nodded. She would be strong for him, and a little for Lu Ten, too.

She was twenty two years old when she decided she loved Tatakau. She was twenty two years old when Tatakau took her hands in his and asked her to marry him, when she was ready. And for a moment, the rest of the world faded away. She forgot that Fire Lord Ozai banished his son, and she forgot that the world was at war.

She was not ready, yet. She cupped his face in her hands and smiled softly, and she said, "Soon. Not now." And she could tell Tatakau was disappointed, but he loved her and he would wait. He was too good for her, she thought. He really was.

When she was twenty five, the great city of Ba Sing Se fell at the feet of Princess Azula, the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, along with her banished brother. They returned home, and their uncle, the great Dragon of the West Iroh, was sent to the prison that Ming worked in.

He looked pitiful and defeated, and she wondered if he remembered her. When no one was watching, she slid him extra food and tea because she felt bad for him. "You probably don't remember me," She whispered, "But I was the girl that held Lu Ten when he died. Nearly six years ago."

He looked up with gold eyes and sipped his tea. Ming looked back. She couldn't believe it was six years ago. Time had gone by so quickly.

In some ways, Iroh reminded her of her father. Quiet and calm, and strong. She was jeopardizing her job when she snuck him extra food, but it was worth it. And when she told Tatakau of it, he smiled at her and nodded. It was worth it.

"I do remember you." Iroh said to her, and it was the first thing he said to her. He looked at her through the bars. "I have always remembered you. My son loved you." He said and Ming nodded. She thought she saw a terrible sadness in his eyes. "You should leave; it is not safe for you to be here."

Ming met his gaze, his golden eyes, and nodded.

When she returned home-Tatakau's home, because they had married a year ago- Tatakau looked at her in surprise. But he did not question it and neither did she. She looked out the window when the sun disappeared and then there was a war outside.

Ming pressed herself into Tatakau's arms and pretended she heard nothing. She had worked hard to pull herself out of her rut, and she would not-_could_ not-fall back into it.

* * *

On the day of Sozin's Comet-when the power of firebenders is fueled exponentially-the sky was red. Ming was not a firebender, but she stood on their patio and breathed in the warm air. When the day was over, the Fire Nation would be the only country standing. When the day was over, so would the war. And then everyone still alive could breathe.

When the day was over, though, things had not gone as planned. The Avatar-who had appeared not quite a year ago-had defeated Ozai and the banished prince Zuko became the Fire Lord. His sister, Azula, went crazy and Ming couldn't help but feel bad for her. There would be no one to pull her out of her madness. No one to guide her through her emotions.

Ming was lucky.

Very lucky.

* * *

The Earth Kingdom was too big for her taste, Ming decided, but she thought it was pretty. There were a lot of interesting people, especially in Ba Sing Se. Pretty people, too. The streets weren't made of gold, as she had once thought, but it was still beautiful. The great of Ba Sing Se had been hiding a marvelous thing. Ming decided she liked Ba Sing Se.

She decided she liked green, too.

In the third year of his reign, Fire Lord Zuko-who was a much better Fire Lord than his father, he even brought back fireworks!-urged the citizens of his nation to venture beyond the borders not as warmongers, but as tourists. At first, Ming hadn't been too fond of the idea-she had been to war, and it had haunted her-but her Momma and her Daddy, and Tatakau, convinced her that it would be worth it.

There was a huge upscale university in Ba Sing Se, but Ming decided that learning wasn't really her thing. She heard that in Ba Sing Se, there was a tea shop that had the best tea in the country. She was reminded of her childhood, and of her time working in the prison, and she smiled. It was affordable and she rather liked tea, so she grabbed Tatakau and they relocated.

They relocated, even though she was three months pregnant. If it was a boy, Ming thought, she could name it Lu Ten, after the man she had loved since she was a child. She knew Tatakau wouldn't mind.

And sometimes, Ming wondered if she'd spent over half of her life wishing for something she could never really have. Then, she would look back and she decided that it was worth it. She remembered the fireworks that were red, and green, and blue, and she smiled.

In the Fire Nation, Ming knew there were fireworks going off. They would be red, and green, and blue.

She entered the tea shop, holding Tatakau's left hand, and waved.

* * *

**This was originally going to be a real Ming/ Lu Ten fic. Maybe I'll write that someday.**


End file.
